Highly engineered sheet materials may be used in modern vehicle body structures (e.g., automobiles). For safety, durability, and weight reduction considerations, structural parts may be made of high strength or ultra-high strength steel grades. Additionally, some parts may be made of alternate materials, such as aluminum. Joining two or more sheets with such diverse material properties may pose challenges. Resistance spot welding is a common method for joining multiple steel sheets. But, resistance spot welding may not be usable in mixed-material applications, such as steel and aluminum automotive body structures. If resistance spot welding is not an option, other material joining method may be used, such as adhesive bonding or mechanical fastening. However, there may also be engineering challenges in achieving effective joints using these alternate methods.